Thursday, August 25, 2016

The Tale of Two Sisters

“Try telling your life story in another language and you will soon realize what is most important to you.” 

Como yo explenar la differencia de las iglesias porque ellos estan muy similar. La historia esta similar. Las personas estas similar. Socioeconomic, politicos, teologia. . .todas las cosas. Pero IELU y ELCA esta muy diferente tambien por la cultura. Ellos representar dos ejemplos diferente de que puede ser la iglesia. ELCA como si la hermana mayor. Ella tiene la experiencia, la apoya, y la dinero. Hasta hay una hermanita IELU. IELU camina en la routa misma pero con padres diferente. La manera es mas dificil cuando es mas normal por le hermanx menor tiene una vida mas facil. O es posible que la vida esta pocito facil que su hermana pero no saben como aprender de las faultas de ELCA. Todos de nosotros en IELU debemos aprender de las faultas de nuestrxs hermana ELCA. ELCA tiene muchas ofercer con experiencia. A primero, tenemos iglesias con adultxs, jovenes, abuelxs, generacciones despues generacciones.  Pero nuestrxs comunidades cambiar con el tiempo y nostoros como iglesia no hacemos el mismo. No aprendemos sobre nuestrxs comunidades nuevos. No hablamos con otras personas. No damos los trabajos que nosotros amamos por mucho anos a les jovenes y ahora nuestrxs personas no sienten un connecion con el Dios de entendimiento de nuestrxs ancestrxs. Le parece hay una problema misma en IELU. Hay muchas iglesias con historia de europa o particular a pueblo del paseo pero ahora los pueblos estan differente y nuevo con vida irregular. Quien esta en los calles? Quien esta en la casa proxima? Se conocemos o no? Se hablamos o no? IELU es differente porque ellxs estan mas pequenos de ELCA. Con solo 30 iglesias y 26 pastorxs es mas facil apoyar. Con los numeros podemos hacer trabajo en evangelismo, mayordomia, y desarrollo que nostros demos completar en ELCA anos antes. Yo veo un futoro con luz para IELU. Les patorxs, los congregacciones , y los jovenes tienen poder juntos. Ellxs estan muy importante!

During missionary training we sat in a plenary about how to “tell the story.” Essentially, the ELCA straddles between being a church of mission and being a church in need of funding. Therefore missionaries are both servants and salespersons. We are asked to do the work of the people while also translating that story in a way our sponsors can consume. This is not to be a critic of how we function. In our eco-system of church everyone plays a role. We are not all called to pastor the same way we are not all called to be financial supports the same way we are not all called to be theologians or musicians. Stewardship is about time, treasure, and talents. Each component is a necessity in order to bring glory to the kin-dom. I struggled with this a bit during training. It did not feel good to hear about some of the pressure other missionaries felt trying to gather stories for parishes to read so that they may feel good about their contributions. Maybe its because I have always failed to send thank you cards to the folks who have sponsored my education in hopes they will just read about my successes later on.

 Well, if any of my sponsors ever manage to read this. . .

To the wonderful Lutherans with an exceptional retirement plan and impressive trust funds,

Thank you for paying my seminary tuition this year. Since I started full time I have managed to maintain a 3.4 GPA which is a major improvement from my 2.7 when I started part time fresh out of undergrad. Your contributions made it much easier for me to work full time in a job that does not pay well but gives me much joy. Since I started seminary I have been able to serve as a chaplain intern in Atlanta, study temporarily in El Salvador, run away to Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela temporarily, and now serve in Argentina. Your gifts will only enhance the quality of ministry the ELCA will receive. Thank you.

Love,

Your Sponsee

I say all of this to say, I too must tell the story. And there is very much a story to tell here. As I sit in the Church headquarters in Buenos Aires I want to tell you  a history of a church that began as a mission in the early 20th century. As a full disclaimer, history is always subjective so as I try to reiterate this message I will try to conceal my own thoughts and highlight the points of the Argentine church.

The year is 1908, almost one hundred years after Argentina gained independence from Spain. Like most of South America the country is dominated by the Roman Catholic Church. The first Lutheran missionaries arrives from one of the first American Lutheran Churches (The ELCA is technically a new church formed in the early 1980’s from two other original American denominations. For this post I will continue to refer to it as the ELCA). Buenos Aires was the first settlement and remained that way for a number of years. During but more so after World War II, Lutheran Churches were no longer missions but transplants. Ethnic groups from all over Europe arrived in Argentina and built churches that reflected their community. Worship was held in their own languages such as english, danish, german, and hungarian. These churches took pride in their ethnicities. It took many years for this culture to change. In fact, many pastors in the IELU today grew up worshipping in non- Spanish speaking congregations. Most communities are no longer exclusively Russian- German or Danish yet some of these congregations continue to maintain this mentality. Yet these congregations are not the sole product of the Lutheran tradition in Argentina. Missionaries and congregations have built schools that have become a staple in many of these communities. 

This history may sound simple but has become complicated over time. A major American characteristic tends to be the feeling of entitlement. Since IELU is a product of American mission, the ELCA or rather congregations in the ELCA have tended to feel a sense of ownership to IELU mission. Those on the outside have felt called to determine where donations should go or how they should be managed without having any true knowledge of the need is here in Argentina. That is not accompaniment. For those of us looking at this situation with a capitalist lens, yes it seems investors should have say how money is spent and thankfully our gospel was not written by capitalists but by followers of Christ. Jesus is the one who told us to give up all that we own and serve the poor. 

For more context, think about the story of the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke 16:19-31. The rich man spent most of his life living well while Lazarus sat outside the gates sick and hungry eating worse than dogs. When both died, one was rewarded while the other was cast into hell. He was not rewarded for living in poverty but for maintaining faith even through his trials. The other was condemned for his neglect to the poor. The rich man had a moral responsibility to the social welfare of his neighbor that he neglected and in tradition we are taught to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, and soul, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we are neglecting our neighbor, we are not loving our neighbor and if all of humanity is made in the image of God, we are neglecting Her and what She asks of us as well. The rich man tried to make amends in hell and yearned to warn his family of such sins but it was too late. We have our entire lives to get right by God. From the moment we become people of God we are given a holy book to study and to practice. We are taught to live modestly, serve the poor, love the Lord, and seek forgiveness because as people of the flesh we will fail at all of these things at one point or another. Failure is Okay because it is the steadfast love, the grace that is granted by God that gives us another chance time and time again. We as a country of wealth and prosperity for many are charged with the job to be faithful stewards. It is not our jobs to smother the voices of our neighbor only to hear ourselves speak and that is a habit we have as an entitled people. 

You’re probably thinking at this point, “If this history is so complicated then how are we still welcomed in IELU?” Great question and something I cannot fully answer. What I can speak about is how we can accompany such a progressive and liberating denomination in their mission today. Last year IELU developed a five year strategic plan to address key issues in the church. 

Lineamientos estrategicos:
  1. Ser iglesia de comunidades evangelizadas y evangelizadoras
  2. Ser iglesia con espiritualidad comprometida y diaconal
  3. Alentar, fortalecer y reconocer los ministerios segun los dones
  4. Ser iglesia que vive la comunion y fortalece la comunicacion
  5. Promover una mayordomia de la iglesia que desarolle la sustentabilidad en un marco de comunion

  1. To be church of evangelical communities and evangelical people
  2. To be church with spiritual commitment (faith) and service
  3. To foster, to strengthen, and to recognize the ministries according to the gifts
  4. To be church that lives communion and strengthens communication
  5. To promote stewardship of the church that develops sustainability in the mark of communion

Our support presently has allowed for the synod to host annual youth gatherings ran by CuJuSi, their youth leadership team. IELU also meets in full form on an annual basis. The support we give presently looks like an additional 7 or more young people a year serving across Argentina and Uruguay in different non profit organizations and schools. We support the six schools presently serving hundreds of children and teenagers. IELU is a church of social justice working with ecumenical partners to support refugees, addressing gender based violence in  machismo- culture, reinforcing inclusive language, advocating for human rights, and teaching the word of God in a way understandable to all people. As of today, we are supporting social liberation and a rebirth of religious thought in a country dominated by historically conservative Catholic theology. That is a powerful gift to give to the world. How often does one hear about a Bishop excited to perform a surprise wedding for a lesbian couple because the two never imagined being able to share their vows in a house of God?

After reading the lineamientos estrategicos, it seems like there are many resources available in the ELCA that can be shared with IELU. We have a questionnaire for congregational gifts. We have literature, trainings, and additional materials for evangelism. Many of us in the ELCA are going through the same struggles as our kin in IELU. We can share how we have dealt with these issues and start creating a better network for a mutual exchange about how we share these successes and failures. I wonder if mission and accompaniment can look like an equal exchange of pastors and lay people, both adults and youth. Maybe we can ask IELU for support on our end as well. How can we become better stewards like IELU as they continue to maximize their resources much differently than ELCA. What makes Argentine Lutheran schools so successful but U.S. Lutheran schools less desirable? Are both parties successful in using education as a form of evangelism in their communities and if not how can we both grow?

I also just got here. Even when I think I know something, I know nothing. This is a challenge I face as a verbal processor and as a mission- minded person. I love our church and our Lutheran identity. It is through Luther's work that I was able to see more clearly how Jesus calls us to be in communion with others. For non- Lutherans that may sound pretty dramatic but unfortunately that is part of my story. Jesus may have been a man but Christ was not real to me in the Catholic Church. This is what drives my soul. If we all believe in being a church of justice, how can we best express that in how we act as a church? I see IELU trying so hard to make that transition into a church of action. If you were to sit with the president or talk with a pastor, it is clear immediately. Individually so many contributions have been made already so now IELU must collectively move forward. I am humbled and grateful to have the opportunity to accompany IELU this year as they accompany me in my formation as clergy.

#ReclaimMissionary

*Key Terms*
ELCA- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

IELU- Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Unidas/ United Evangelical Lutheran Church

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Empezamos

Penne the gatini (kitty cat) and I finally made it to Argentina. Our journey was a little rough after being hit early on with a delay in New York. Our flights got completely shifted and instead of going to Atlanta first, we went to Sao Paolo, Brasil. We left nearly four hours later than our original flight. We were excited though and just getting out of the airport was good enough for us. Penne slept on my lap most of the flight. When I would doze off, he ended up clawing on our neighbor's blanket a little as he tried to stretch out. I was embarrassed. We arrived in Sao Paolo in the morning and expected to wait three hours for our next flight. That was a mistake. Even though I knew the language of Brasil is Portuguese, I did not expect it to be as different orally from Spanish as it turns out to be.  This made listening for flight changes very intense and frustrating. Penne and I ended up being delayed another hour and a half. Finally we crossed the gate and took seat between two men. Nearly three hours later we landed in Buenos Aires.

We were greeted by the Country Coordinator for the Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program. She and a driver from my future congregation guided me to our temporary housing in Buenos Aires, the home of the Vice President of Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Unidas (IELU) and her husband a pastor and seminary professor. This family opened up their home to me because of Penne 'el gatini misionero.' I am thankful. They offered me a nice room with two spare beds. They have two full bookcases with libres en spanish, italian, french, and german. How impressive. I aspire to have a library like this.


My hosts speak to me in spanish. The world now speaks to me in spanish. My only break is when I am with the country coordinator. It's demanding and exciting. It feels good to know those five years in high school did not go to waste. Very quickly did my ear tune in to spanish enough for me to understand most conversations. In the same breath I become easily tired trying to explain myself. You realize very quickly what is important to you when you have a limited vocabulary and and audience of an attention span as small as your own. People are very patient and the reality is, after a while your opinion is not AS important (and that is totally Okay). When I get home or in a wifi area, I google more words so I can try to use them more often in conversation. Sometimes if I feel really silly about a conversation from earlier, I look up the words I could not translate. Por ejemplo, last night I was trying to explain the struggle of being a millennial in the U.S. trying to discern between ministry and other vocations. Clearly I made the ministry decision but for some, entering a job in a declining market is too unstable for them. I wanted to say "investing in an education for a career without a stable return on interest is crazy" or "to pay for an education for a job that can't pay you is silly." I did not know how to say invest, pay, career, or stable. That statement looked like me pausing a few times, retracting my words, and closing with "Como?" like "How Sway?" (<---U.S. Hip Hop culture reference)




This week so far my days have looked like me going to the Church Headquarters, spending my day with the YAGM coordinator, drinking cafe con leche o matte, and eating with my hosts. By the evenings, I come back to lay down with Penne and forget about the day. For a few minutes I am still speaking to him in spanish. Then I finally tune back to english. By this time I do not want to do anything. Estoy cansada. Just enough to be exhausted just looking at a computer or any of the books I have brought with me. Maybe next week? Penne sleeps all day but still finds a way to nestle around my toes and sleep with me. By the middle of the night, he moves for the end of my bed to the pillow and under the blankets with his tail in my face. Somehow he makes his way back to the edge before the sun creaks through the classic glass windows that face the street. This is definitely not what my term will look like all year. Rather, this is me becoming immersed into the cultura. I am practicing my Castellano and meeting important people of the church. Buenos Aires is slowly becoming familiar. It is feeling less like a vacation and more like a lifestyle.

Tomorrow the YAGM volunteers arrive. YAGM is a one year commitment for young people between 21-29 to serve overseas. Argentina/ Uruguay is one of the thirteen or so sights globally. This year there will be seven young adults serving this region. Unfortunately none or too close to me. I do look forward to training with them this week and starting this journey with others unaccustomed to Argentina. 

I am still in the midst of processing a lot of information, especially that of the history of IELU and its relationship with big sister ELCA. It is my hopes that in the near future I can properly describe this history to those unaware of it. After having an understanding of who both parties are will create some interesting components to what it means to be a missionary in Argentina. For now, abrazos from Penne y yo.

#ReclaimMissionary

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Sermon: Dinah's of the World (14/8/16)

Topic: Commercial Sex Exploitation
Location: Oceanside Lutheran Church
Reading: Genesis 34: 1-31
Gospel: Matthew 19: 1-12

Let's talk about sex. Better yet, let's talk about sex work. Commercial Sex Exploitation (CSE) is almost like an umbrella term at this point which looks very differently in context. We see this as sex trafficking, prostitution, child slaves, survival sex, and even pornography. Even though CSE is something that affects millions of people both domestically and internationally, we fail to acknowledge it in our congregations. Rather, we prefer to take a conservative approach to sex and focus on morality, purity, and respectability politics. The church will shame a girl for wearing a skirt over their knees before shaming the relative who can't keep their hands to themselves. Why do we preach on divorce but not rape? Often times topics about human trafficking or presented as distant experiences uncommon in the United States but we have one of the largest populations of people being exploited in the world. 

I was offered a variety of topics to preach about at OLC. I chose CSE because sex is so private yet so public and even more, so church. We play a role in how we enable rape culture as well as modesty culture. We are so silent towards sexual violence and yet we are so vocal about what is unacceptable in our pews. If we permit asking women to leave service because her skirt shapes her body, we are then speaking for who God allows in the Kin-dom. If she is not welcomed in the Kin-dom, then our silence towards the Hell she may face on earth speaks volumes.

There are many factors that play into the world of Commercial Sex Exploitation; gender, race, age, and economics. I challenge us to look at how we teach sexuality and worth and question whether it reinforces or dismantles this ugly global market. What are we doing to enhance the quality of life for our neighbors?

Amen. #ReclaimMissionary


Monday, August 8, 2016

#ReclaimMissionary

mis·sion·ar·y
/ˈmiSHəˌnerē/
noun
  1. 1.
    a person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country.
    synonyms:evangelistapostle, proselytizer, preacherministerpriest;

    historicalblack robe

    "he was a missionary in Sierra Leone"
adjective
  1. 1.
    of, relating to, or characteristic of a missionary or a religious mission.
    "missionary work"


My name is Nicolette and I am a missionary. Yes, I said the m-word. A colonizer clothed in Christ. I am the same person that came to all the countries filled with people that look like me to hand out bibles and accumulate natural resources. Like my theology, I am both/ and. 

My name is Nikki and I am Afro- Lutheran. Yes, I am both black and Lutheran from the North American context. I am the same St. Paul police offer and Charleston shooter that gunned down people that look like me and will never be charged with murder. Like my theology, I am both/ and.

My name is Nic because Nicolette is what I associate with the period I was first introduced to racism. I was always Nikki in my home and in the classroom until I began school in a predominately white neighborhood and all my teachers called me "Nicolette." Nicolette was foreign to me. It felt like entering Ellis Island and being renamed to fit into society even though Nikki is a very American name. Nicolette is the name strangers call me. Nikki is for those that are like family. You though, can call me Nic as it feels fluent.

The name commentary may seem a little obnoxious but stay with me. It is a very mild example of theology of accompaniment. Identity and self awareness comes as early as learning your name. How many people attribute their identity to a last name? Better question, how many people change their names for whatever reason? I have been Nikki as long as I have been able to acknowledge my existence on this earth. After ten years of life being Nikki, someone greets me and then informs me that I am Nicolette. Regardless of me trying to correct the individuals, they neglect my request and continue to call me by something less comfortable. Historically, that is what missionaries have done. They have entered countries of brown and black people, informed them that they were savages and tried to then assign an identity and culture to indigenous groups. No, being called Nicolette did not come with Small pox, genocide, and a bible but it did come with what feels like an erasure of who I am. The reality is missionaries played a major role in the cultural genocide of hundreds if not thousands of indigenous people. Languages have been lost, traditions and and cultural items have been destroyed. So many people do not know the God of their ancestors and that is an injustice. The traditional missionary has been a tool in the colonization of the world. 

Theology of accompaniment is how we as a Global Church address mission. It is not our job to determine justice and injustice in a unfamiliar context. We are not obligated to lead or control movements and ministries in our international settings. We are here to accompany our neighbors in their journeys. We are here to support, uplift, and advocate for our international counterparts. Theology of accompaniment means that this is not our divine calling to civilize folk and acquire land for the King the way Christians before us have. Instead we have to acknowledge our power and privilege in international contexts. We are obligated to serve with and not for or to our comrades. It is a mutual exchange of ideas, thoughts, opinions, and services. I remember the summer I moved to Texas to work at Lutherhill Outdoor Ministries. My supervisor said, "Is there a name you prefer to go by?" I told them I preferred Nic and there were no questions asked. They did not try to tell me who I needed to be or what I should feel comfortable being referred. They understood that my name was a major part of my identity and Lutherhill was a safe space to be my own authentic self. Yes, it is "just" a name to some people but think about how long it takes for parents to name their children or how pulled they are to a name. Your name is the first part of your identity which will somehow shape you in the long run. Missionaries are not called to name a group of people, to name their needs, or to name their new religion. We are called to ask questions and to create spaces with our partners so that they may name these things.

A few weeks ago I went through a New Missionary Personnel Orientation and we discussed the origins of the term missionary. It is remarkable how damaging this word has become seeing as though my church body has strayed so far from using missionary. We have began saying missional as if that is a thing. What the heck is missional anyway? Part of my ethnicity is African American and my ancestors too have been effected by missionaries. Many if not most West Africans were not Christian before they arrived. They did not speak english. Missionaries played a major role in the europeanizing and assimilation of enslaved Africans. While I am of the diaspora in the United States, my skinfolk experienced missionaries in various contexts both in the Americas and in Africa. We are scarred and damaged by christian imperialism.

So how do I then reconcile with my history and my vocation? What does it mean to be a Person of Color (POC) missionary? Am I a race traitor for perpetuating this White Man's Burden? Have I sold out by the standards of my ancestors or can I help bring glory back to the Kin-dom of God? I wish I knew the higher power of my ancestors but that is not truly an option at this point. My heritage is mixed. Languages and cultures have been lost. I have adopted and celebrated the God of my understanding introduced to me as an infant on my baptism. This has not prevented me from seeking and celebrating in the glory of Afro- American Religions. Ancestor worship brought over by my skin folk is what triggered revolutions across the Western Hemisphere. These practices empowered my people to seek liberation and it is liberation that grounds me in my Christian tradition. I can be a Christian and celebrate the faith of all people. I can also be a Christian and serve my global neighbor faithfully. It is difficult for a church such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to continue our call to mission with the reality of their role also in missionary imperialism. Even though we may be aware of our sins and have  adjusted our theology around mission to better address community, to sit down and seek forgiveness and understanding from every individual we have traumatized is nearly impossible. Most of this damage is generational and long standing. I would push to say most of it is irreversible. I do believe we can seek reconciliation by the work we do on the ground. We send doctors and nurses on short term deployment. We provide funding for schools and churches that have strong missions in local communities. U.S. congregations come together to fund Mosquito nets for families affected by Malaria. When we are permitted, we educate people on sexual and reproductive health in an effort to decrease the number of people infected with HIV/ AIDS. These are things I can be proud of about my faith tradition. Missionary does look different today than what it once did. After spending two weeks with missionaries both old and new, I am certain that we are sent with love and compassion in our hearts.

My intention this year is to reclaim the word missionary. During our New Missionary Personnel Orientation a number of us agreed that this word is in fact problematic and we are willing to wrestle with what that means. I will be spending the next year in Grand Bourg, Argentina. I will be serving Iglesia de San Lucas as a vicar.

vic·ar

/ˈvikər/

noun
(in the Roman Catholic Church) a representative or deputy of a bishop.
(in the Episcopal Church) a member of the clergy in charge of a chapel.
(in the Church of England) an incumbent of a parish where tithes formerly passed to a chapter or religious house or layman.

This will look a lot like the role of a pastor and I won't be surprised if pastora is what I get called occasionally. In Argentina I will be dealing with some of the opposite racial dynamics that I describe as a missionary. I will be entering a european country that once had a significant African and Indigenous population. A reality in Argentina is that poor people are referred to as negro and there is great animosity towards other Latin American and Caribbean migrants. How do I serve a community where I may be looked unfavorably upon as a Venezuelan, Brazilian or Dominican? How often will I be mistaken for a sex worker instead of a pastor?  Yet I am also American. How does my nationality impact my role in a church and community? Regardless, I am a missionary. 

For those who decide to take this journey with me, it is my hopes that you will develop a new understanding of the work many people are called to do. This is going to be a transformative year for me as it will be my first time serving abroad. I want this blog and my sermons to translate that so feedback is welcomed. Ask me questions. Engage with me here and feel free to always share the work of my colleagues and mine.

My name is Nic and I will #ReclaimMissionary.